Western Officials Face Hurdles in Call For Swift Action to Avoid Financial Crisis

BRUSSELS—Europe and the U.S. grappled with how to pull together billions of dollars in financing for Ukraine to fend off its economic collapse in the aftermath of weeks of political crisis and violent street protests.

Amid Ukraine's increasingly dire financial situation, European Union negotiators are facing a thicket of rules governing how the 28-nation bloc can lend money to prop up its neighbors. The EU and the U.S. want the International Monetary Fund involved to force long-delayed reforms from Kiev in exchange for...